Ex-PSG star explains why era of Lionel Messi, Neymar & Kylian Mbappe was 'impossible' in candid interview

PSG chief Nasser Al-Khelaifi grabbed the limelight in August 2021 when he did the unthinkable by signing Messi from Barcelona. The Argentine, who spent close to two decades at the Catalan club, finally left  to sign for the Ligue 1 giants. There he linked up with the likes of Mbappe and Neymar to form the most glamorous attacking trio in European football at that time. Al-Khelaifi also brought in Achraf Hakimi and Sergio Ramos to bolster his backline.

The star-studded side, however, did not click as they won only the Ligue 1 title in their first season and repeated the feat in their second campaign, along with winning the French Super Cup, but they never delivered the Champions League - the trophy the club was desperate to win at the time.

Speaking on the Charla Podcast, ex-PSG and Brazil midfielder said: "During pre-season, in the first training session where everyone was present, I said, 'This can’t possibly work'. Let’s start with the goalkeeper: Keylor Navas or Donnarumma. Whoever doesn’t play will be furious. There will be arguments, discussions with the coach. 

"In defence: Marquinhos, the starter, no one will replace him, Kimpembe, PSG idol, and Sergio Ramos. The three best full-backs for each. In attack, Di María, Mbappe, Neymar, and Messi. Who do you take off? Di María, for his weight within the team, and even then, he’s not a player you can take off. It can’t work.

"For a coach, it’s impossible. They were the best team in the world in terms of players, names, but at the same time, difficult to manage. I wasn’t playing, so I was watching."

A source close to L’Equipe recently claimed that Messi was unhappy in the two seasons he spent at PSG and even felt that the club protected French star Mbappe more than any player in the squad. The source was quoted as saying: "He didn’t have one good moment in Paris. He couldn’t go out. He found himself in the middle of the Neymar-Mbappe rivalry. He even felt that the club protected the Frenchman and didn’t even honour his World Cup title. In Barcelona, he was a god. He was used to taking his kids to school, the sun…it was a lot of things combined."

After Neymar and Messi exited the club in the summer of 2023, Mbappe remained there for one more year before walking out as a free agent to complete his dream transfer to Real Madrid. The next season, PSG won the treble. including the elusive Champions League title under the leadership of Luis Enrique. Ousmane Dembele was the star of the team as his performances earned him his first-ever Ballon d'Or.